Life Advocacy Briefing

Easter Blessings

WE WISH OUR READERS a blessed season of celebration for the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In His honor, we will not publish an April 6 edition, but we expect to be back the following week with news you can use in the cause of Life.

Here He Goes Again

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO) HAS LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION into the drug companies which manufacture mifepristone. Those companies are Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro. His investigation, reports Ray Hilbrich for LifeSiteNews, “focus[es] on their business practices related to the abortion drug mifepristone and its adverse side effects.”

Sen. Hawley is also, notes Mr. Hilbrich, establishing “a hotline for women who have been harmed by chemical abortion.” The idea is to offer such women an opportunity “to confidentially share their stories” with the Senator’s office.

In his letter to the two companies, Sen. Hawley, notes Mr. Hilbrich, “questioned the marketing around the drugs, which carry many harmful side effects to the women who ingest them” and are intended solely for the purpose of starving their developing babies to death.

Wrote Sen. Hawley, quoted by Mr. Hilbrich, “‘mounting evidence suggests that mifepristone poses grave risks to women. Yet your company has continued to profit from the widespread distribution of this drug even as serious questions have emerged about hemorrhage, infection, sepsis and other dangerous complications associated with its use.’”

Further in his letter, Sen. Hawley cautions the companies his “investigation aims to determine what the companies knew about the potential harms these drugs can cause to women and whether they bear any responsibility. ‘Congress must determine what your company knew,’” he wrote, according to LifeSiteNews, “‘about the harms associated with mifepristone, when it knew it, what it told regulators and what it may have failed to disclose to women and the public,’ wrote [Sen.] Hawley. ‘The women exposed to the risks of this drug deserve a full accounting.’”

Gone But Not Forgotten

ONE OF AMERICA’s MOST NOTORIOUS ABORTIONISTS, Kermit Gosnell of Philadelphia, has died at age 85 while hospitalized during his life term in prison. He was convicted in 2013 on three counts of first-degree murder, notes LifeSiteNews, “for brutally murdering three newborn babies.” He was also convicted on 21 counts, notes the news service, “of committing illegal late-term abortions and more than 200 counts of violating Pennsylvania’s required 24-hour waiting period before abortions.”

The shocking news of his murder trial and of his focus on exterminating well-developed babies helped Americans grasp the reality of late-term abortions. His abortion focus began in the 1970s.

The LifeSiteNews story goes deep into detail about the ghoulish practice of this man. We will spare our readers, having covered some of those details during his notorious trial. We are grateful to the authorities in Pennsylvania – and especially to the jurors – for taking on his removal from society. Now he has met his ultimate fate. May his story never be repeated.

Facing Reality

THOUGH THE ABORTION CARTEL HAVE LONG CLAIMED legalized abortion is “necessary” to reduce the risk of maternal mortality, actual experience – now that the wild west of abortion rights has been tamed in many states – shows the incidence of maternal deaths in pregnancy has actually decreased, reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, since the Dobbs decision was handed down by the US Supreme Court.

“On March 13, Live Action published an article,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “by prominent pro-life researcher Prof. Michael New of the Catholic University of American and Charlotte Lozier Institute, refuting pro-abortion writer Jessica Valenti’s recent claims that pro-life laws were hurting women.

“Among them, he noted,” writes Mr. Freiburger, “that the US maternal mortality rate has fallen by 19.7% since 2022, the year Dobbs was handed down, from 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births that year to 17.9 per 100,000 in 2024. ‘Supporters of legalized abortion are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts,’ [Prof.] New said. ‘Data from the CDC and other sources show that many public health metrics have improved since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.’ …

“Abortion has long been known to be far more dangerous than the industry’s apologists present it as,” writes Mr. Freiburger. “Abortion facilities across the country are regularly flagged for harming women through botched procedures, unsanitary tools and environments, and lack of regulatory protections, such as requirements for staff to secure admitting privileges at nearby hospitals in the event of complications. With the rise of abortion pills dispensed by mail in violation of federal law, chemical abortions self-administered completely without medical oversight are certain to increase those harms further still.” That only makes sense.

But it is even more fundamental than that. “Even when carried out according to medical protocols,” writes Mr. Freiburger, “abortion carries grave risks to the health of the mother, not to mention the child being destroyed. According to the American Assn. of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists (AAPLOG), which represents 7,000 medical professionals who reject the anti-Life stance of the medical establishment, ‘[w]omen face a 35% increased risk of preterm birth in a future pregnancy after one surgical abortion and an almost 90% increase in preterm birth risk after two abortions. The increased risk of future preterm birth for women after they have an abortion represents a clear long-term health risk. Mothers who deliver preterm babies are at a higher risk of medical complications later in life, including cardiovascular disease and stroke.’”

And Mr. Freiburger’s last paragraph, again quoting AAPLOG, is hardly surprising, when one thinks logically about it. “‘From 1993 to 2018, there are at least 75 studies,’” reports AAPLOG in the LifeSiteNews story, “‘examining the link between abortion and mental health,’ the group continues. ‘Two-thirds of those studies showed a correlation between abortion and adverse mental health outcomes. Studies show abortion significantly increases the risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicidal behavior, when compared to women with unintended pregnancies who choose to carry the baby to birth. A study from Finland,’” notes AAPLOG in the Freiburger report, “‘found a seven times higher suicide rate after abortion compared to when women gave birth.’” Anybody noticing?

Sobering – But Not Surprising – Polling

Feb. 24, 2026, The Washington Stand commentary by S.A. McCarthy

             With midterm elections looming, the GOP has focused much attention on maintaining its razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives. While Pres. Donald Trump and his allies have pushed for Republican-controlled states to aggressively redistrict and net the GOP extra House seats, a new survey is suggesting that the efforts may be for nought if the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans don’t act decisively to regulate the remote prescription and shipping of the abortion drug mifepristone.

             According to a Feb. 17 memo from polling and data analytics firm Cygnal, GOP leaders risk severely dampening midterm enthusiasm and voter base turnout if they retreat from key pro-life positions. “GOP primary voters are overwhelmingly committed to pro-life principles but frustrated with federal health agencies’ abortion policies under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Cygnal pollster and senior partner John Rogers wrote. “The national data show a significant disconnect between base Republican voter expectations and current federal actions, creating real enthusiasm risks for the November midterm general election.”

             One of the chief points of contention is the Food & Drug Administration’s failure to restore previous safeguards surrounding the abortion drug. Cygnal found that over 70% of Republican primary voters oppose the present mifepristone regulations, which allow the drug to be prescribed and dispensed remotely and sent via mail or courier. That share is even higher among self-described “Make America Healthy Again” Republicans (76%) and Trump Republicans (77%). Overall, 80% of Republican voters (including 84% of Trump Republicans and 85% of MAHA Republicans) want the FDA to restore in-person requirements for the prescribing and dispensing of mifepristone, 71% (including 77% of Trump Republicans and 76% of MAHA Republicans) oppose allowing the drug to be prescribed remotely and mailed, 74% say that allowing mifepristone to be mailed across state lines undermines red states with pro-life laws in place, and 72% (including 73% of Trump Republicans and 74% of MAHA Republicans) oppose the FDA’s approval of a generic version of mifepristone.

             Additionally, the GOP’s “pro-life base remains solid,” Cygnal’s survey found: 86% of Republican primary voters oppose federal tax dollars being used to fund abortions, 79% want to keep the Hyde Amendment, 75% support defunding Planned Parenthood, 71% want a future Republican Presidential candidate to “clearly articulate a pro-life policy agenda to drive down the number of abortions,” and 65% oppose “the overall HHS direction on abortion,” including the generic mifepristone expansion and delaying a promised safety review on mifepristone. Rogers wrote, “This is not a marginal constituency; it is the GOP primary core.”

             Only 1/5 of surveyed Republican voters were aware that abortions have actually increased since the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. decision, which reversed Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, effectively eliminating federal protections for abortion. “Republican voters likely expected that Dobbs would lead to fewer abortions and certainly expected that the leaders around Pres. Trump would work hard to extend pro-life protections everywhere possible in the federal government,” Rogers observed in his memo. “Instead, under Secy. Kennedy, HHS is actively facilitating access to the chemical abortion drug mifepristone.”

             According to Cygnal’s survey, the Trump Administration’s inaction on abortion is “creating fractures in the GOP base,” causing a “trust crisis” and threatening to cripple voter enthusiasm and turnout in the midterms if unaddressed. If Republican leaders “weaken or abandon pro-life policies,” the survey results warned, nearly one-third (32%) of Republican voters (including nearly 40% of the “most engaged” Republican voters) said that they will have decreased enthusiasm for voting and over one-third (34%, including almost 40% of the “most engaged” voters and 45% of evangelicals) said that they would be less willing to volunteer or campaign for Republican general election candidates.

             “A diminution in enthusiasm among one-third of the Republican base would be devastating in close US House and US Senate races in November,” Rogers warned. Furthermore, were the GOP to weaken its commitment to the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions in the US, 30% of Republican voters say that they will be less enthusiastic about voting in November, while nearly 80% of Republican voters said that they consider the Hyde Amendment to be “important.”

             In comments to The Washington Stand, Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, suggested that a stronger pro-life stance from Republican leaders would likely inspire confidence among Republican voters. “With mid-term elections on the horizon, it would be helpful for the Trump Administration to deliver a major pro-life win reminding Americans that the Trump Administration is the most pro-life administration in history,” Szoch asserted. “Democrats are the party of abortion-on-demand, paid for by taxpayers, through the entirety of pregnancy. Pro-lifers cannot allow Democrats to triumph in the midterm elections. We must come out and vote for Life – and a recent pro-life win will help encourage pro-lifers to do so.

             Since pro-life laws began taking effect in red states in 2022, the lax guidelines surrounding mifepristone have allowed blue states where abortion is legal – and, in many cases, even protected abortionists via “shield laws” from prosecution – to ship mifepristone across state lines and into red states, violating those states’ pro-life laws. In the absence of more stringent safeguards, and in-person dispensing requirements from the FDA, a growing number of Republican-led states have enacted or moved to enact provisions empowering citizens to sue out-of-state abortionists for violating state pro-life laws, effectively circumventing blue-state “shield laws.”

             Louisiana has also led 21 other states in a lawsuit to compel the FDA to restore in-person prescribing and dispensing requirements for the abortion drug, although the Trump Administration has asked to have the lawsuit dismissed[!].

March for Life Address

Today’s Life Advocacy transcript from the Jan. 23, 2026, March for Life in Washington is of the speech given by Elizabeth Oliver, president of Georgetown University Right to Life.

             When I was a little girl, my dad would often tell me the story of Saint Joan of Arc. I loved hearing about her courage, her leadership and the great white banner she carried into battle. Years later, standing outside a Planned Parenthood in high school, I began to understand which banner I was called to carry – the banner for Life. Overshadowed by a bleak building and angry voices, wondering whether I could really make a difference, I often recalled the words that Joan of Arc said when she doubted herself: I am not afraid. I was born to do this.

             This year, that banner for Life has become real, as Georgetown University has the honor of carrying the official March for Life banner. It’s an honor, because it takes great courage to champion the truth about abortion, especially when that truth isn’t popular; the truth is, we are all called to carry this banner.

             But courage without kindness doesn’t go very far; truth spoken harshly usually goes unheard. Truth spoken with charity, however, invites the listener to hear. I always tell new members of Georgetown Right to Life that the most important thing we do isn’t hosting events with famous speakers on a big stage; it’s sitting behind a fold-up table in Red Square, the very heart of our Jesuit campus. That takes courage. While tabling, our members never know whether they’ll receive a supportive thumbs up or a middle finger – or simply the painful indifference of the many people who are just too busy to care. But I’ve also seen that small table become, all in one busy afternoon, a resource center for pregnant students, an intellectual battleground and a gathering place for our community. Pro-tip: Offer free munchkins, and suddenly everybody has very strong opinions.

             After countless conversations, I’ve learned the best way to start isn’t with an argument – it’s with a question: Why are you pro-choice? Listening, really listening, is an act of kindness, and it’s through kindness itself that people begin to see what the pro-life movement truly is. It is about affirming a truth that is so obvious that it is tragically easy to miss: that life is a gift. You won’t always change minds right away, but hearts do soften. I’ve seen it happen.

             Four years ago, a pro-choice friend and I began talking about abortion and how it affects women. She was shocked to learn that one-third of Gen Z has been aborted, yet she still argued vehemently that they are only clumps of cells. Just this year, after becoming an EMT and learning about the realities of pregnancy and the violence of abortion, she told me she is now strongly pro-life.

             I didn’t change her heart; all I did was plant the seeds. It was God who did the rest. So don’t be afraid to speak. Speak with courage, speak with kindness and above all, speak the truth. You were born for this. This is why we march for Life. Thank you.

Wisdom from Mr. Hyde

Join us in reading a paragraph-by-paragraph reprinting of the Sept. 19, 1996, speech by Rep. Henry J. Hyde to the House of Representatives, in which he called for the House to override Pres. Clinton’s veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, HR-1833. Rep. Hyde has long been seen as one of America’s all-time leading orators and a model communicator in the cause of Life. This week’s offering is of a multi-paragraph segment, which must be maintained as one section rather than following our usual practice of reprinting a paragraph at a time. We continue to hope our readers will find this reprint feature both inspiring and informative.

             … C. Everett Koop – Doctor C. Everett Koop – the last credible Surgeon General that we had, was interviewed by the American Medical Association on August 19^th, and he was asked: President Clinton just vetoed a bill on partial-birth abortion. In so doing, he cited several cases in which women were told these procedures were necessary to preserve their health and their ability to have future pregnancies. How would you characterize the claims being made in favor of the medical need for this procedure?

             Quoting Dr. Koop: “I believe that Mr. Clinton was misled by his medical advisors on what is fact and what is fiction in reference to late-term abortions.”

             Question: In your practice as a pediatric surgeon, have you ever treated children with any of the disabilities cited in this debate? Have you operated on children born with organs outside of their bodies?

             Answer: Oh yes, indeed. I’ve done that many times. The prognosis is good. There are two common ways that children are born with organs outside of their body. One is an omphalocele, where the organs are out but still contained in the sac composed of the tissues of the umbilical cord. I have been repairing these since 1946. The other is when the sac is ruptured; that makes it a little more difficult. I don’t know what the national mortality would be, but certainly more than half of those babies survive after surgery. Every once in a while, you have other peculiar things such as the chest being wide open and the heart being outside the body. And I have even replaced hearts back in the body and had children grow to adulthood.

             Question: And lead normal lives?

             Answer: Living normal lives. In fact, the first child I ever did with a huge omphalocele much bigger than her head went on to develop well and become the head nurse in my intensive care unit many years later.